Lana reprised her MITB look in a full photoshoot for us, something I love because it allows us to really savor all the intricate details of her gear. This silver and blue ensemble is a fabulous development of the silhouette she created for her Wrestlemania debut.The bodysuit and glamorous push-up bra remain, while side cutouts provide a new element of intrigue. I adore the contrast between the glittering central fabric and the smooth, metallic sheen of the piping! There's so much variation - from sparkled silver to satin silver, from sky-blue glitter to solid electric blue that the color scheme feels tastefully complex, while still retaining the strong harmony that makes it instantly accessible. Gone are the feminine floral embellishments. They've been replaced by a sharpened-hourglass graphic with a mechanical-engineering vibe that's streamlined, powerful and modern - like something you'd find adorning a race car. It brings a fascinating edginess to the glamour of the glittery fabric. Lana's love affair with metallic boots makes perfect sense when you see it here, paired with this gear. The fierceness of the flat, metallic OTK completes this look perfectly. Lana added a bright coral lip, which brings just the right does of warmth to this cool-hued look. Not satisfied with slaying us via gear, she also included several snaps with her ombre-sequined over-gown. The halter+choker design reinforces the glamorous, beauty-contestant vibe, but it's the thigh-high slit that really caught my attention! It's deep enough to be daring, but there's no fear of wardrobe malfunctions with the bodysuit below, so we're free to savor the sexiness -and there's plenty of that! Unlike many current renditions of the high slit, the showy aspect of Lana's is minimized by her boots so it feels neither attention-seeking nor trashy nor brazen; it's just HAWT and nothing but the hawt! Well played, Lana! Her poses are solid as always, with standards interspersed with a few of the gems she always manages to create, the one-legged-blowing-a-kiss is a particular fave of mine because...balance! Like, for real. That is so not easy. PS her blonde beachy waves are crave-worthy. Synopsis: another Lana 'shoot, another slaying. She's too good.
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Charlotte went through a run of all-black outfits in March. Her first has a great vibe, including enough trend to be mod, enough classic to be chic. She paired a slightly cropped cutout-choker style top with leggings and topped it all with a classic biker jacket. I love how she went for knee-high leather boots here. They're less fierce than OTK's, but more classic. Because they're flats, the to-the-knee style feels like something less styled and more practical, which actually gives the look tougher, more streetwise vibe than the OTKs would, which I find kind of cool. One of the tremendous attributes of classic styles is that they can shift between looks and genres with ease, which is what keeps them chic for decades and makes them good investments.
She uses the boots again for her next look, this time matched with black denim and an interesting black top with a sheer shoulder detail. Ordinarily, I'm a huge fan of cap sleeves, even a micro-mini version, like these. One reason for that is that they accentuate the shoulders, which is fab when you're creating a visual hourglass. There's a caveat, though: if you have a broad-shouldered body type (by which I don't mean having large shoulders, but having shoulders which tend to be naturally wider than your hips), you want to avoid accentuating them still more, without balancing the ratio at your hip in some way. A peplum would achieve that balance, as would an A-line skirt, side ties on a bikini (if you have this body type and fall in love with a halter bikini top, keep this in mind :)). A high-waisted wide-leg pant could also do the trick if the cut was right. Or, you could use an oversize sweater that takes the whole hip-shoulder relationship right out of the equation by playing on proportion differently, as Char has with her last black look of this set. For this interview with the NY Daily News, she chose an off-the-shoulder sweater - another style which accentuates the shoulders - but done in a drape-y, boyfriend-esque silhouette, instead of a bodycon shape. With this kind of proportion on top, skinny jeans are the perfect accompaniment, creating a casually fierce vibe that's enhanced by suede OTK boots. This is how it's done, babes! Charlotte then does an about-face from all the black and gives is this sweet, spring-y floral maxi dress, with a flowy shape that has the effect of an A-line. While this piece could easily be dressed up with colored heels, I love how she keeps it a bit more relaxed with rose-gold thing sandals. As with many of her looks, a statement watch is the only jewellry and its boldness provides a nice counterpoint to the delicacy of her dress. You can see the makings of her glorious Wrestlemania gear in this ice-blue cape from Fastlane. Charlotte's color choices for her gear have been stellar and this one keeps the trend going. It's pristine and cool, with a hint of magic about it that's grounded by the black feather and clasp details. I'm so awed by her ability to reconcile all these dramatic, glamorous elements (sequins, crystals, feathers) into something that comes off intricate and beautiful, rather than gaudy! Props to her and Terry Andersen! More catch-ups, more stellar Brandi style, babes!
We're starting with two looks I totally adore! The first one I can 100% see myself wearing to work. Brandi throws a twist into the classic black and white pairing by going with steel gray pants. These look to be a textured fabric, like a corduroy, but it would work just as well with gray denim, or gray ponte. Brandi layers a black turtleneck on top and then tops it with a boxy ivory blazer, which she leaves open for an easy, unstudied vibe. The strong blazer nods at the 80's-tinged suiting trend, while the laidback polish of the combo feels very 'right now'. Tall black boots complete this casually fabulous ensemble. From grayscale to full color: Brandi's next look is a head-to-toe ice pink ensemble that gives me modern-day Audrey feels. She buttons up a pink cardi over her pencil skirt and then adds massive textural contrast with a faux fur jacket tossed over her shoulders. She adds additional texture and grounds the sweetness with soft tan suede ankle boots. I love the choice of a boot here, as it tempers the girly vibe. A coordinating classic tote rounds the look off. I love everything about this. And PS for those of you who absolutely refuse to do pink under any circumstances: any pastel can swapped in here: sky blue, mint, lilac, butter yellow. No matching fur jacket? Go with a soft neutral: ivory, beige, khaki, nude, soft tan. The next snap is from a photoshoot on which Brandi comments that she's had a concept for an editorial snap like this for a long while. It's a super-fun one, too! (And it makes me wonder: what if Impact gave Brandi the visual image/art direction position that Christy Hemme used to have? Hmmm :)) She ties a white blouse over high-waisted nude/blush shorts. Of course, you know my favorite part of this snap: those aaaaaaaaahmazing yellow pointy pumps! :) The kitchen-y background with it's dusty colors and curlers in her hair give this something of a modern-housewife vibe, which is quirky and cool. I mean, who wouldn't love finding Brandi in their kitchen?! Minus the curlers, this look makes a great casually refined summer look, with the pointy pumps elevating the laidback clothing. Brandi also resolved the mystery of the snake on her gears and, as it's something that's been on my need-to-know list, I'm sharing! The snake was a Garden-of-Eden/temptation reference to her WWE ring name, Eden. Once she explains it, it seems so simple right? Brandi has gone on the make the snake her own - as she says "improved [the gear] over time". I admit, I had trouble, at first, connecting Brandi to the image of the snake, but the tempting aspect definitely fits. When I researched the symbolism, though, I found the Chinese interpretations and it all came together. The Chinese zodiac views the snake personality as intelligent, fond of the finer things, savvy, confident, hard-working and possessing an intense heart under a collected exterior. Yep, that sounds a lot like the Brandi we love :) For some reason, Impact *always* decides to release a photoshoot right around Wrestlemania. It's slowly becoming one of my pet peeves with the company. They don't release anything for almost a year and then, boom, right when everything is psycho-crazy around Wrestlemania, they put out a huge 'shoot. Why, guys? Don't you know it's just going to get buried in the Wrestlemania onslaught? You're not going to top that. You're going to end up here, getting reviewed in June. That's so unfair to the ladies on your roster. Maybe a litttle diff timing next year, huh? Think about it. Ok, enough of Brie's b*******g. To fashion!
We kick it off with Brandi and a black and white version of her halter-meets-high-waisteds snake-embellished gear. This is such a solid effort from her! The gear is spot on, her poses are killer. She looks like she was born to do this. Gear 'shoots are notoriously difficult because they tend to be simple - just you and your gear out there on a blank backdrop to do your thing. It's hard to keep them interesting. Brandi works some less common poses and overcomes the drawback of the standard, blah gray background. Done like a boss and I love it! She's back, b*****s! The BAM is back! ODB has returned, flask, attitude and all. She's looking fab in an on-point red romper, made suitably trailer-park-ish with a camo head band. Her personality comes blazing through these shots and it makes them come alive. I love the spark she brings back to the roster! Sienna is making a serious effort to sell the whole skirt-as-gear thing and while I'm not on board yet, I give her points for tenacity. This black and burgundy combo is stunning, especially with the way the burgundy peeks through the black lace. I'm 100% in for her halter top (wish it had the same deep red metallic lining as her skort). This gear is definitely going in the right direction! Welcome to one of the moments each year where Diva-Fierce is totally dedicated to ring gear! We love fashion in all its forms, so fashion that's also a performance costume that you can also do crazy athletic stuff in gets our heart-eyes flashing! Last year, we started naming a Best-Of list for the top 5 looks that sent us head-over-stilettos and we'll be doing that again this year. So, get comfy, loves! We've got a lotta gear to cover :)
Before we get into actual gear let's talk about Beth Phoenix. She gravitated back to black for the Wrestlemania 33 event, something that doesn't surprise me, even though I love her in color. I would be more disappointed, except that this black Herve Leger gown looks amazing on her! The designer is known for simple bandage dresses and this is a prime example of his trademark. What makes it special is the sweethart neckline, which was an inspired choice by Beth. Her long, flowing hair was polished, but casual. She again showed her preference for understated jewelry, accenting the neckline with a subtle, small-scale pendant. Stephanie continued her glam Wrestlemania ways from last year. Although that studded ensemble will be a challenge to top, this one is a solid effort. She paired a graphic tank with black leather leggings and a studded belt. If you have been lusting after those gorgeous boots, they are Stuart Weitzmans, with extra glam added by Leather Rebels, a London, UK-based maker of customer leather championship belts, including the new NXT belts. Also, Steph with a thumb ring?! I love it! We don't often see her do crazy, rock-star-inspired things with her jewels. Her choices tend to be classic, precious-stone pieces, not statement-making costume jewelry. I'm thrilled at how she uses this look so confidently - and appropriately! It helps to cement the impression created by her clothing. And the killer chain detail at her hip doesn't hurt either ;). I love how she steps outside of her usual style home base to go all-in for a style like this. Her smooth, pin-straight hair adds a nice dash of fierceness to her outfit. WWE has put together a gallery showcasing every lady champion that ever was, including all the various iterations of the belt(s). It's a fun look back to the past, highlighting some of the division's pioneers - The Fabulous Moolah, Alundra Blayze - as well as more recent ladies who paved the way for today's champions. From a fashion perspective, the gallery comes off like a style retrospective of ring gear through the years. The romper/unitards topped by jackets worn by Moolah and Mae Young gave way to the more athletic stylings of Alundra Blayze and her famous mock-neck top and leggings combo. Jacqueline's ring fashion took that sporty vibe as a starting point, but metamorphosized into a much sexier iteration, a concept that Sable pushed to new heights. Check out her latex catsuit with its thigh-high and beyond lace-up detail: it's spot on-trend for today! And just as smoking hot as it was then. Of course, it's hard to imagine an outfit that wouldn't be smoking with Sable in it ;). Lita eschewed the traditional bombshell aesthetic in her gear, which was composed of straight-up street fashion: cargos, cropped tops, slogan tees. It was hot as h**l, but in a down-to-earth way that made it both appealing and accessible to WWE fashion fans of the era. In addition to her tremendous wrestling ability, Lita made fashion important to wrestling, while appearing to not especially care about it. Trish Stratus' looks had a similar point of inspiration, but incorporated a girl-next-door vibe that separated her from Lita's disaffected street urchin toughness. Molly Holly's looks were even more demure, focusing primarily on the athletic requirements of her pieces, spiced up with a bit of shine and an occasional foray into pretty, feminine colors: sherbet pinks and bright turquoises. There was a sweetness to her style which set her apart from many of the other ladies of the era. Complexity entered ring gear with the advent of Mickie James' and Melina's reigns. Unique designs, gorgeous colors and bespoke details - the full palette of fashion seemed to collide with the concept of wrestling-wear. Mickie's crop top+pants combo became an instantaneous trademark, along with the luscious colors she gravitated to. Melina's looks were more dramatic - think one-person Cirque du Soleil :). Thigh cutouts, sheer insets,knee-high fur boots, patterns and metallics all caromed together to create her memorable looks. Beth Phoenix's superhero-esque metallic jumpsuits also arrived on the scene. Each of the ladies developed distinctive silhouettes or styles that set them apart. Michelle McCool used her various changes to mark separate eras in her character, not unlike the Undertaker has. The sweet and simple early pieces of her personal-trainer/schoolteacher gimmicks evolved into the cross-embellished halter top+lace-up leggings combination of her Faithful face era. I didn't appreciate at the time just how spectacular this particular gear is with the all-over crystals! I find the camo a bit busy (maybe that's why I missed the crystals ;)), but the jewel-work is spectacular. This snap was not widely released at the time, but it was used in promotions and, back in the day, Michelle cited it as one of her favorites so it's awesome to have a high quality version of it out and about! She exhcanged this style for the dark glamour of her heel turn, which included mostly dark fabrics embellished with crystal and studs. And that was succeeded by the Flawless Era which attained Fame-era Gaga-esque heights of fierceness. Layla came along for that ride and it brought her already-competent looks into truly amazing territory, something she maintained even after Michelle's departure. A few other ladies, including Natalya and Beth, took on the concept of metamorphosis-concurrent-with-persona - which led to the era which matched LayCool in fierceness: the maven-vixen Divas of Destruction, who ruled the ring in leather and spikes, softened with pin-up girl details like lace and bows. Barbie (Kelly) chose to stay with her hallmark push-up bra top and kabooty shorts from its inception until her retirement. And no surprise - it's hard to imagine it being improved on. This yellow-topped one was always one of my faves! (I'm sure you're shocked). Eve also carried the same chevron-waisted silhouette forward throughout her career, along she varied the sweetheart neckline extensively. Her gear was known for the myriad of stunning colors she employed: emerald green, bright melon, pale lilac, all embellished with hints of crystal, studs or sheers. Ditto Maryse, who explored variant after variant her keyhole-top+shorts combo with the most delicious, intriguing, luxurious combinations of color, embellishment, fabric and pattern. Nikki and Brie Bella were always closely in touch with the fashion world and they brought its influence even more closely into gear, breaking free of the idea of waiting for a persona change to update their ring-wear and using it as a way to freshen and reinvigorate their characters. Their looks run an unprecedented gamut from flamenco-inspired ruffled pieces to plunge-front catsuits to Britney Spears-influenced banded top+shorts combos that paired glam with a pop influence to the grunge-plaid era to today's sporty looks - which in a spine-tingling synchronatic way, brings ring gear full circle - back to its athletic beginnings.
I can't believe I'm still in catch-up mode. Sigh.
I'm so sorry that Naomi's injury was serious enough to force her to have to drop the title. How insanely frustrating after all her hard work to achieve it! She managed to go out in style though, pairing a cute cap-sleeve cropped tee with her Feel The Glow leggings and black sneakers with blue and lime embellishments. This combo is casual and sporty and, once again, plays on that fab combo of teal and neon citrus that works so incredibly well. Her bright hair acts as that one extra pop of color that gives the outfit zing. Mickie put together a classically Americana pairing of a gorgeous lace cropped top with pale denim. Naturally, she finished it with Western boots ;) One of the benefits of an unrefined, study boot like this is that it allows an outfit to be styled with super-feminine pieces, like Mickie's top, without having the look come off at all too girly. The boots provide a strong counter-balance - something to keep in mind if you adore frills, but don't want to over-do the femme vibe. If Western boots aren't your jazz, a chunky-heeled punk-tinged boot, or a classic riding silhouette will work similarly. Lana has been doing a good bit with this double-breasted dress style lately. The double row of buttons has a haberdasher-esque quality that brings strength and assertiveness to this simple dress. I can love this design when done as a blazer; I'm a bit more hesitant about the dress version. I don't dislike it, but it probably wouldn't be the first thing I'd reach for. Lana's variation is done is a fiery red satin, which makes it even more of a statement piece. Her slim crystal choker is a perfect way to accessorize a look like this - with subtlety. Her low bun is polished but not too prim - another winning choice! Maryse got in on some actual nearly in-ring action in preparation for the build-up to Miz & her Wrestlemania match against John & Nikki. As usual, her selections are stellar: a cropped sequin bomber cardigan (leave it to Maryse to make a cardi look fierce! #HowItsDone101) tops leather leggings. She finished the look with plain suede OTK boots - and flat boots, no less! It's rare, but Maryse in flats does indeed happen ;), and she slays in them just as well as in heels. As if we expected anything different. #Homage Natalya's exploration of combinations of patent leather, sheer, strapped cutouts and crystal continues with this gear. She's moved to pink for her crystals - a mouth-watering decision that I hope she gives us a few more variations of! The strapped cutout aspects of her gear remain as fabulous as ever - and she's earning serious points from me for her designs that show enough to be tantalizing as heck, without showing too much. It's a fine line to walk and Nattie is handling it perfectly. This is how a classy lady does sexy! Note-taking is encouraged ;). |
Welcome to the place where wrestling & fashion join hands. Inspiration. Reviews. Musings. Retros. FASHION. Covering and craving gear to gowns since 2011. May the Fierce be with you! ;) Peace & Glitter!
AuthorBrie: shoe-lover :) fashion-lover and generally glamorous semi-dork Archives
July 2019
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Photos used for criticism and comment under US Copyright Act Section 107.
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